The Evidence Never Lies?
by Miss Ellaneous
Summary: A newspaper photograph reveals a connection between Warrick and Sara that no one knew was there.
1. The Evidence Trinity

Title:  The Evidence…Tells the Future?

Author:  Miss Ellaneous

Disclaimer: Now, really.  If I owned them, don't you think the show would have been canceled a long time ago?

Genre:  Romance, W/S

Summary:  A newspaper photograph reveals a connection between Warrick and Sara that no one knew was there.

Authors Note:  OK, my first CSI fic, and my first fic of any sort in a long time.  The idea is shamelessly borrowed from a West Wing fic I wrote ages ago, called "It Started With A Picture."  Please forgive any technical/forensic errors you find, I have not the budget for a staff of technical advisors that the real show has.  I have always been a G/S shipper, but the show doesn't seem to be going that way, and I keep seeing small instances of W/S connection.  Though I suppose if you look hard enough, you could find any connection on that show.  OK, off my soapbox and on with the show…

"Are they dating?"

Grissom heard two lab techs talking in the break room, and wondered who they were discussing.

"Those two?  I don't think so."

As he rounded the corner, he saw them hunched over a newspaper.

"Yeah, I thought they hated each other, given their history."

"Well, you wouldn't know it from this picture."

"Indeed."

Grissom cleared his throat, and the lab techs looked up guiltily.  When they saw who it was, they flushed even more.  "Excuse me, do you have my results from the Evans case?"  he asked, sounding annoyed.  

"Th-the test was still running when I came in for coffee," one of the techs stammered "I'll just go check."  And with that, both of them hurried out of the room.  Grissom poured himself some coffee, and then, curious, picked up the newspaper.  "The Napier case?"  he mumbled, puzzled.  The Napier case, which Warrick and Sara had worked on last night, involved a body found in a ravine.  The case had gotten a lot of attention, because the body had been that of Rachel Napier, a local councilwoman.  In this instance, the case had landed on the front page of the Las Vegas Times.  

At first glance, Grissom didn't see anything noteworthy about the picture, anything that would have led to the techs' speculation.  Warrick was helping Sara climb up from the ravine, one hand grasping her arm, the other holding his kit.  He quickly scanned the rest of the front page, but didn't see mentions of any other crime lab members.  He looked at the picture again…and then he saw it.  Yes, it was a simple picture, one colleague helping another up a steep slope, but the looks on their faces, the gazes they had locked on each other, seemed to indicate so much more.  It was subtle, you probably wouldn't notice it if you didn't know the people involved, but it was there.  

Grissom was stunned.  Was there something between the two of them?  He knew-well, he thought he knew-that Sara has a crush on him.  After she confronted him in his office, post-explosion, things had been strained between the two of them.  Maybe even before that.  He thought back to recent interactions between Warrick and Sara.  He hadn't noticed any special relationship there.  They worked well together, playing off each other's strengths, but that was just their skill and professionalism, right?  The two them had their bad history, certainly, starting from Sara's joining the team.  Warrick's recounting of the forgery case, when he had been left in charge, indicated some tension there as well.  Then Grissom thought of the Barstow bus case.  He and Warrick had been playing chess, waiting for the tire to collapse.  Griss thought he was winning, when Warrick's phone rang.  After a short conversation, Warrick hung up, said "Its Sara, she needs me" and promptly checkmated Grissom.

Was there something there?  What was going on?

NEXT SHIFT

The next night brought relatively few cases and, as luck would have it, a chance for Grissom to observe his two CSIs in action.  Catherine and Nick had cases in town, but Sara, Grissom, and Warrick were headed to the hills.  A cabin that had been closed up for almost a year was recently re-opened by the owners, who found the bodies of several men and women scattered about the house, swarmed with bugs.  Grissom, of course, was going for the bugs, but he felt he needed both Warrick and Sara to process the unknown number of bodies and the neglected crime scene.  

The three arrived at the cabin to find the bodies of 4 men and 4 women in beds and sleeping bags around the cabin.  At first glance, there was no obvious cause of death, so Sara and Warrick set about examining the scene more closely, while Grissom went to work on his bugs.  As he worked, collecting examples of each bug species present, he observed his two CSI protégés.  

They did work well together, all but silently processing the scene, almost in a choreographed dance.  Rarely did they get in each other's way, and one usually knew what the other was up to.  When Sara turned and asked "Hey, Warrick, can you hand me an –uh"  Sara motioned, momentarily blanking on the word, Warrick handed her a bindle.  A few minutes later, when Warrick discovered a hair caught on the utility closet door, about to slip off, Sara was behind him with tweezers before he even had to ask.  

With the crime scene thoroughly document, and the evidence collected and ready for analysis, Warrick, Sara, and Grissom gathered back at their Tahoes before heading to the lab.  Behind them, David and an assistant were loading up the bodies for transport.

"David says that it looks like they might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning."  Grissom said.  "Warrick, you thought the furnace might have been tampered with?"  Warrick nodded.  Sara chimed in "We've already called the work crew to bring it back to the lab.  I didn't find any obstruction in the vents around the house, so if it is CO, the problem is probably there."  

"OK, when we get back to the lab, I'm going to start time-lining the bugs.  Warrick, will you check with David and Al on the autopsies, and Sara, get started on the furnace."  Sara and Warrick nodded. "By the way, nice picture of you two in the Times yesterday.  The sheriff will be pleased."

"We were in the paper?"  Warrick asked, as Sara said "Huh?"  Grissom handed Sara the paper, and Warrick moved to look over her shoulder.  The two examined the picture silently for a moment, then Sara handed the paper back to Grissom.  She glanced up at Warrick as she stepped away…and the glance held.  The two gazed at each other for a moment, until Grissom cleared his throat.  They looked away, and Sara said shakily "Glad to please the sheriff.  We should go."  With that, the three of them headed to the cars, lost in their own thoughts.  

FINIS

A/N: Ta-Da!  What do you think?  I have some ideas about where this will go next, but thought I'd put this much up first.


	2. Victim

See first chapter for authorship, disclaimers, etc.

Sorry if the case is a little weak.  Its just an excuse to play with the characters.  I've been threatened with a mariachi band if I don't continue quickly, so on with the show…

Chapter 2:

On the drive back to the lab, all three were silent.  Warrick and Sara were both trying to think about the case, but their minds kept switching back to the picture.  Grissom was also contemplating the picture, and what it meant for his two passengers.  His good humor had started to return as his hearing cleared up, and he had to say (to himself – at that point, Warrick and Sara probably wouldn't have appreciated it) that he liked the idea of his two protégés together.  He resolved to indulge himself in a little matchmaking, should the opportunity present itself.  

Back at the lab, the three went their separate ways.  Sara started to deconstruct the furnace, and soon found an obstruction that prevented carbon monoxide from escaping quickly.  Eventually, the furnace had malfunctioned and shut off, but not before the 8 people succumbed to the colorless, odorless gas.  Warrick checked in with the coroners about the autopsies, then went to work on some of the other evidence.  A PDA one of the victims left by his bed soon revealed a suicide note.  By the time Grissom came to tell them when the eight had died, Sara and Warrick could tell him how and why.  

Warrick headed down the hall to the locker room.  It was time to call it a day.  Nick called to him "Hey, Warrick.  Wait up." and jogged down the hall to catch up.  

"Hey man,"  Warrick greeted his friend.  "How'd your case go?"

"Open and shut.  The best kind.  You?"

As they entered the locker room, Warrick filled Nick in on the case.  

"By the way, nice picture of you and Sara in the paper yesterday."

"Thanks"  Warrick mumbled, half-dreading, half-wanting the conversation that followed.

"Boy that was quite some look you were giving her.  And quite some look she was giving you.  Intense…" Nick trailed off.  "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

"No, man!  No way!"  Warrick protested  "But…do I really look at her like that?"

"Like a starving man looking at a steak, my friend."  Nick said, with some satisfaction.  "I've seen you look at her like that before, but it was so brief, I thought I was imagining things.  Now"  Nick said, holding up the newspaper "I have photographic evidence.  So, what are you going to do?"

"Do?  Nothing."

"Nothing!  Warrick, come on, man!  You clearly are interested in her.  She obviously is interested in you.  Why-"

"Obviously?"  Warrick protested  "There's nothing obvious about it.  She hates me.  Think about why she came here.  Think about our whole three year history.  Think"  he held up his hand when Nick tried to speak "about whatever it is she has with Grissom."

"I don't think she has anything with Grissom except a deep and abiding respect.  And besides, none of that matters.  Look at this picture and tell me any of that matters."

"It would never work."  Warrick said softly "It would affect our performance  It-"

"First of all, I have no problem with it affecting your work.  More room for me!  But seriously, its not going to affect either of y'all's work.  The way you two work together is scary already, I can't imagine what will happen if y'all are dating."

"I don't know, man."

"Just think about it, OK?  Just think about it."

In the woman's locker room, the conversation was following a remarkably similar path, even if the two women were not as close as Nick and Warrick.  

"Quite some picture of you and Warrick in the paper today.  Whew!  Talk about a smoldering look."  Catherine exclaimed as she sat down outside her locker.

Sara was facing away from Catherine as she parroted Grissom's earlier words "Thanks.  The sheriff will be pleased."

"The sheriff!" Catherine turned to face the younger woman "Who cares about the sheriff!?!  You and Warrick should be pleased.  It's a great picture!  How long has this been going on?"

"How long has what been going on?  There's nothing 'going on' between me and Warrick"

"That's not what this picture says.  Look at the way you look at each other.  There is definitely something to this."

"No, Catherine, really, there's not.  I didn't even know I looked at him like that.  I'm sure it was just a fluke, a strange angle or something.  Besides, Warrick hates me."

"No fluke here, Sara.  I've seen you look at him like this before.  And him at you, just never at the same time.  He doesn't hate you."

"Of course he hates me.  I've investigated him twice!  The whole reason I came here in the first place was to investigate him.  We clash over cases all the time."

"This look," Catherine held up the paper "Is not hate.  And rarely have I seen you two clash on an investigation-"

"You weren't here for the forgery case."

"You guys work really well together processing scenes."

"Professionalism."

"No, Sara."  Catherine leaned in to emphasize her point.  "Not professionalism.  Or at least, not just that.  You two have some sort of connection.  The way you both think at a crime scene complement each other."

"Cath-"  Sara was getting uncomfortable with the conversation "There is nothing there.  Please just drop it."

"Ok, I'll drop it for now, but don't think you're getting out of it, my dear."

Warrick and Sara both headed home that day lost in thought, somewhat troubled by the day's events.  Their coworkers had the same events on their mind, but were much more intrigued—maybe even pleased—by the happenings.

FINIS

A/N part 2:  And another part done!  I know what I'm gonna do for the 3rd part, but would take suggestions for the 4th.  I feel like I lost Sara's character a bit at the end, but I've been threatened with a mariachi band, so I thought I'd better post it anyway, since I'll be away from my computer for Thanksgiving.  Since that is the case, please, no bands, mariachi or otherwise, till at least the middle of next week.


	3. Killer

A/N:  Apologies for the delay.  Writing a lot at work means I don't feel like doing much of it at home, even if this is more fun.  I have decided to make Grissom cheerful/willing to matchmake b/c I have just been watching the first season on DVD.  Grissom was much more cheerful in those days.  So was Sara, for that matter.  What's with the chip on her shoulder?  If I ran the world…

The next night, Grissom sat at his desk, looking at the case slips for that night's assignments.  He had a few minutes before going in to distribute them.  There was a case out in Barstow that could use both his and Catherine's skills, and Nicky could take Greg with him on a homicide at the Bellagio.  That conveniently left Warrick and Sara with a double homicide at the Tangiers.  Two victims, two CSIs, right?  Made sense.

He wasn't so sure Warrick and Sara agreed with him, a few minutes later.  Neither of them openly protested, but both looked dismayed, and Sara sent him a nasty look.  Using as few words as possible and without meeting each other's eyes, they agreed to meet out front in 5 minutes with their kits.  Warrick would drive.

Arriving at the Tangiers, Warrick and Sara were directed to a large suite on one of the top floors.  "Fill us in?"  Sara asked the detective that was taking them to the suite.

"Housekeeper discovered the victims this morning when she went to clean the room.  A young man was found shot in the bathroom, and an older woman shot on the bed.  According to the hotel, they were newlyweds.   Coroner will be here shortly.  I'll bring you the printouts from the hotel database.  Has their credit card information, among other things."  the detective said as he opened the door.

"Thanks"  Warrick said absently, as he surveyed the bedroom.  Sara had already moved inside.  The detective nodded, backing out and shutting the door behind him.  An uneasy silence settled over the room. 

"I'll take the bedroom, you take the bathroom?"  Sara was the first to break the silence.  Warrick nodded and headed towards his part of the scene.  The two worked in silence for an hour, finding traces of their victims all over the suite, but precious little of the killer.  

The coroners arrived, and the two CSIs regrouped in the entryway while the bodies were removed.  "I got some blue fibers and a partial handprint on the wall by the bathroom.  Don't think its enough for CODIS" Sara said, frustrated.  "You?"

"I also have some blue fibers, and GSR on the bathtub.  Body wasn't moved.  It looks like our killer was in and out of here pretty quickly."  Warrick sighed.

"In and out of here, huh?" an idea had obviously struck Sara.  She moved toward the door that connected to the next room.  "Anyone check this?"

"No, because they had only booked one room, and they were alone."  Warrick said.  "That'll teach us to assume anything."

Sara bent down to examine the door.  When she turned back towards Warrick, he gave her fingerprinting powder and a brush.  She looked at him and smiled, and some of the awkwardness they had been feeling since the picture was published faded.  

The fingerprints on the room side of the door were too smudged to be useful, but just above the knob on the other side was a perfect set.  "Bingo"  Sara breathed, as she lifted the prints.  "We should-"

"Yeah, Detective Martin?  This is CSI Brown.  Can you find out who reserved the room next door?"  Once again, Warrick had read her mind.

Back at the lab, Sara dropped off the fingerprints – the full set from the connecting door and the partials from the wall – and started working on the other evidence.  Warrick started looking in to the background of the person who had paid for the room next door.

Before long, they had matched the prints to the man registered in the room next door—who had used his real name in registering, not bothering to hide his identity.  Detectives were sent to bring him in.  Warrick gave Sara a rundown on the suspect while they waited.  

"This guy's moved around a lot lately.  Before Vegas, he was in Jackson Hole, WY, Park City, Utah, Reno…"

"All vacation spots"  Sara mused, clearly struck by something.  'Why don't you go in and talk to him, I need to check something."

"Bingo."  Sara muttered about an hour later.  Every place their suspect, Jim McHenry, had lived, a honeymooning couple had died.  She went to pull Warrick out of the interrogation.

"And all of the couples are visually mismatched."  She said, laying down pictures of the couples.  "An older woman with a younger man.  A heavy man with a thin woman.  An Asian woman and a white guy.  He's picking them based on looks."

"That's gonna be hard to prove, Sara."  Warrick said, frustrated.  "Any of this is going to be hard to prove.  He is as cool as a cucumber in there, even admits to being in the room.  He says that he knew the woman from when they both lived in LA, and the three of them had drinks one evening.  Any indication _why_ he's targeting these couples?"

"Not that I've seen, but I'm still looking…"  Sara said.

"Let me know as soon as you find anything."  Warrick said "I'm going back in."

Fifteen minutes later, Sara found it.  Jim McHenry was once just Jim Henry, and he had been divorced by his very attractive wife, who quickly remarried to a man 15 years her elder and not at all attractive.  Sara headed back to the interrogation room to tell Warrick.

Warrick, meanwhile, was getting more and more frustrated with Mr. McHenry, who was betraying not the slightest hint of anxiety about being in a police interrogation room.  Warrick had not yet mentioned their suspicions about McHenry's other killings, preferring to wait for more data before tipping his hand.  Inspiration struck when he saw Sara heading back into the room.  McHenry had not yet met Sara, knew nothing about her…

"Warrick, can I see you outside for a minute?" Sara said, coming into the room.

"What's a matter, honey?  Its not something with the chapel?"  Warrick sounded worried, as he headed across the room to her.  Sara had just enough time to look puzzled before he said "And hello to you too." and kissed her soundly, right in front of their suspect!

"I'm sorry,"  Warrick said, turning back to McHenry, as Sara struggled to regain her breath.  "We're getting married next month, and all this wedding stuff is such a hassle."

It didn't take Sara long to catch on, especially after seeing the stormy look on McHenry's face.  "I'm sure you know, Mr. Henry.  It says here you were once married."  Turning to Warrick, she handed him McHenry's file and said "I just wanted to give you this info from the caterer before I forgot."  Leaning into him on her tiptoes, she kissed him back and said softly "I'll see you later…" before slipping out of the room.  Behind her, the suspect exploded.

THE END/TBC in the next (possibly final) chapter


	4. Location

And now, the fourth and final chapter, written almost as soon as I finished chapter 3.  My muse returned from Christmas break long enough for me to edit Ch. 3 and write Ch. 4.  But its too cold for her here, so she's gone back to Aruba.  If anyone has a hardier muse to lend, I would be grateful. …

Hours later, Warrick had finally finished shepherding McHenry through police processing.  It was near the end of shift, and he was ready to go home.  But first, he had to talk to Sara.

Who, it seemed, was nowhere to be found.   As Warrick headed down the hallway from the breakroom to the ballistics lab, he passed Grissom.  The supervisor seemed his usual distracted self, head buried in a case folder.  As they passed each other, Grissom paused, and without looking up, said "Warrick, good job with McHenry.  That was a tough connection to make.  Tell Sara good job too."

"I will, if I can find her.  Have you seen her?"  Warrick said, somewhat frustrated.

Grissom looked up, puzzled.  A thought seemed to occur to him, and his face cleared as he said "I forgot, she went home early.  Said she had a headache.  Not like her."  As he spoke, his head sunk back into the folder, but not before Warrick thought he saw the beginnings of a smirk.

Sometimes, he thought, Grissom wasn't as much of the absentminded professor as he played at being.  

Another hour found Warrick in front of Sara's apartment, ready to knock on the door.  The team members had exchanged addresses and phone numbers a few months ago, after a spate of bad car luck had left both Catherine and Nick stranded on different occasions.  Warrick wasn't sure what was going to happen after he knocked on the door, but he knew he needed to.  They needed to talk.  Taking a deep breath, he raised his fist and rapped on the door.

Inside, Sara was sitting on her couch in much the same position she had been in since she arrived home, one arm crossed under her chest, the other on her lips.  She was staring into space, trying not to think about that kiss, and at the same time thinking of nothing but.  The knock on the door startled her, and only then did she realize how much time had passed since she got home.  So much for starting her laundry early.  She shook herself out of her reverie as she headed to the door, and got quite a shock when she saw the subject of her musings through the peephole.  

"Warrick, what are you doing here?"  Sara said, as she yanked the door open.  She determinedly thought of work issues.  No sense in letting herself read in things that weren't there.  "Its not something with the McHenry case?  I turned in all the paperwork to the right people.  If they've lost-"

"Sara"  he said, holding up a hand to stop her  "Its not the case."  Before she could ask "what?"  he continued "We need to talk."

She looked down for a minute before she said "You're right" and stood aside to let him in.  "Can I get you anything?" she always babbled when she was nervous  "Tea, soda, water?"

"No, I'm fine.  Look, Sara, I'm sorry about work.  About what happened at work.  I-"

Trying to hide her disappointment, Sara cut in "No, I completely understand.  It was necessary for the case.  That was quick thinking, to bait him like that."

"It was that newspaper picture that made me think of it.  Nick said it looked like, um…"

"Probably the same thing Catherine told me it looked like."  Sara cut in.  "I guess photos can be more deceptive than we think.  Strange, when we usually associate a photograph with being the true representation of what is going on at a scene.  I-"

"Sara-" Warrick stepped closer, and she stopped talking "What if the photo wasn't deceptive?  What if it was merely-"

"Prescient? "  Sara said, hopefully.  

"That could be."  Warrick said, stepping closer still, a small smile beginning on his face.  "What would you think of it being prescient?  Would that be OK?  It could be weird at CSI if things didn't work out."

"Its been weird at CSI since that picture.  People keep watching us.  I think we are both adult enough to handle it if 'things' didn't work out.  I'm pretty sure I would be, and I certainly trust you to be.  Besides which, you shouldn't go into a relationship assuming its end."  Sara felt a little daring, using 'relationship' to describe their…whatever it was.

"You're right."  Warrick said "I just…"

"Things will get weird, however, if you try to apologize for kissing me again."  Sara said, a teasing smile starting on her face as she stepped up close to Warrick.  Their bodies were all but touching, now.  

"I wasn't apologizing for kissing you"  he protested.

"Oh no?"

"I was apologizing for kissing you at work.  I didn't want to embarrass you.  And its not how I envisioned our first kiss might be."

"You've envisioned our first kiss?"

Warrick put his arms about Sara's waist  "And many after that."

"Well, that will certainly make a good first kiss story.  And, being the astute CSI that I am, I would like to point out that we are not work now."

"Astute?"  Warrick said teasingly   "I suppose I could give you astute"  and he lowered his head, his lips meeting hers…

THE END.  Use your imagination from here.  No, not like that!  My, you certainly have an active imagination.


End file.
